New Year, New Love
by carolinagirl919
Summary: After Barry admits his true feelings to Iris, things start to feel strained. In an effort to get their friendship back on track, Iris relies on a yearly tradition between the two life-long friends. However, after the turn of a new year, their relationship gets a lot more complicated. Rated T for now.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I wrote this story for fangirlu as a birthday gift. I don't usually write Westallen, but after binge watching the first nine episodes of The Flash I decided to give it a try beyond a drabble. This story takes place after the mid-season finale after Barry tells Iris that he loves her.

* * *

It was weird now between the two of them, at least that's how she felt. Iris had barely heard from Barry since he revealed his feelings to her during Christmas. Her mind hadn't had a moment of peace since his confession and she felt more confused than ever.

She'd always loved Barry, had always cherished their friendship, but now... She didn't know how to feel. Did she love him? Yes, of course she did. Barry was sweet, loving, and the most adorable nerd. They were always so open and honest with each other and could tell each other anything. But did she _love_ him? She didn't have an answer for that.

Why did he wait this long to tell her how he felt? Why didn't she see it before he ever told her? She knows everything about Barry. Every tick, every smile. She knows when he's stressed or when he's hurt. She's seen him at his happiest and at his lowest. She _knows_ him. Why didn't she see it?

Ever since he'd awakened from the coma, it felt like he'd been keeping something from her. Was this it? Was this the only thing? Something in her gut told her that while his romantic feelings toward her was part of the reason why he was acting so strange, it wasn't the only thing.

They needed to talk. She and Barry needed to work this out, whatever this weirdness was between them. They had to work it out and move past it. She needed to figure out how to get their friendship back on track. She needed to figure _them_ out. Barry had said he was happy for her and Eddie, but was he? Iris had thought she was ready to move in with Eddie to start the next phase to their relationship, but was she?

"Ugh," she groaned as she rolled over to turn off the alarm clock on her nightstand. Another night of restlessness and tossing and turning. She'd actually need the double shots of espresso she'd be serving at work today.

Eddie had asked her why she hadn't been staying over at his place for the night, especially since he gave her a key. He'd asked her if she was still ready to go to the next level in their relationship or if she'd grown cold feet. She'd told him she was fine and that she was just packing some of her things so they could start the new year together. That answer was only partially true.

Yes, she'd been packing her things, but she'd been going about it as slowly as possible. Honestly, she really did have cold feet now, and she knew the longer she remained indecisive, the more likely it would be for Eddie to see right through her. He'd know something was up, he'd ask why she was so restless, and she'd have no believable excuse to offer.

Her phone vibrated and beeped with a special tone letting her know that she had a notification on Google alerts. She swiped across the screen of her phone to unlock it and read the alert. There had been another spotting of The Flash last night. She rolled her eyes and tossed the phone clattering back on the nightstand. She hadn't written much about him on her blog since their falling out after he attacked Eddie.

It had felt so out of character for him. Sure, she'd only known him briefly, but there was something about him. Something she knew in her heart was good about him. He'd said that he wasn't himself, but the men she had trusted and loved more than anything had warned her about him. For once, it was time she listened to her father and her Barry— er, her best friend.

Groaning again, she pushed herself out of bed and got ready for the last day of 2014.

* * *

"How long has he been on that treadmill?" Caitlin asked Cisco as she settled in the seat next to him. She glanced at the speedometer and saw that Barry was hitting immensely high speeds, faster than his "normal" pace.

"He's been at it for a couple hours now," Cisco answered distractedly while eying Barry's vitals.

"This is the sixth day in a row. He hasn't said anything about what's been bothering him?"

"Nope. My bets are on this being about Iris. He hasn't spoken to her or had a 'rooftop rendezvous'," he held up his hands to make an air quotes gesture, "as The Flash in quite a while."

Caitlin cut her eyes at Cisco. "Seriously? Air quotes?"

He shrugged his shoulders and raised his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Hey, say what you want, but our guy's got it bad."

"Well, heartache or not, he shouldn't keep at it like this. He could injure himself." She pressed the button to communicate with Barry over the intercom. "Hey, Barry... How about you give the treadmill a break? Um... Cisco has some improvements he needs to add to it so it can keep up with the higher speeds you're able to reach now." It was a lie, but the way Cisco's eyes lit up, she knew that he'd make good on her fib.

Barry continued to run, ignoring both of them.

"Barry," Caitlin tried again, but was ignored once more. Releasing the intercom button with huff, she leaned in to monitor Barry's vitals along with Cisco. If Barry wasn't going to listen to them, at least they could keep an eye on him to make sure he was physically okay.

"So what are your plans for tonight?" Cisco asked. "Going to any parties?"

She shook her head. "Nope. I'd planned to stay in and watch the ball drop on TV."

"Doesn't sound like much fun," he replied with a frown. "You know what? We should go out and celebrate, all of us. Make a few more shots of 500 proof alcohol for Barry and we can paint the town red. Get it? Red?"

Caitlin resisted the urge to groan at his joke, and turned to the sound of a phone ringing on the table nearby. Getting up to avoid accepting Cisco's invitation, she grabbed the ringing phone. Seeing who the contact was on the screen, she smiled and pressed the button to the intercom again.

"Barry, you've got a call." Looking at the numbers increase on the speedometer she knew he was trying to ignore her again. "It's Iris."

Before she could blink or even lift her finger from the button, the phone was removed from her hand, and loose sheets of paper flew around room, signaling Barry's exit.

"Felicity was right. We should get more paperweights." Cisco went to pick up the paper littered across the floor. "So how about hanging out later, you in?"

Caitlin smiled at her friend and accepted. "Sure. I'll work on those shots just in case Barry joins us."

* * *

Barry managed to freshen up and change clothes before he answered Iris' call on the fourth ring. "Hey, Iris," he answered casually. More casual than he felt, actually. It had been nearly a week since he told her he loved her and he'd _literally_ tried to run away from his problems.

"Hey Bear! Happy New Year!" Iris' cheerful voice on the other end never failed to make his heart stop.

"It's not a new year yet." He smiled at their long standing tradition of her wishing him a Happy New Year on New Years Eve. She always wanted to be the first to say it, so to beat him to the punch she'd say it the day before.

"It's a new year in Australia," she replied. He could imagine the fake pout on her pretty face now.

Oliver's words echoed in his mind, souring the warm feelings he now felt.

_That's not gonna work out for you. You need to let her go. For both of your sakes. Guys like us don't get the girl._

It had only been six days, but God he missed her. As much as he hated every waking moment of it, knew he needed to give her some space after his confession. He didn't want to make things weirder between them and he didn't want to lose their friendship, even if that was all he would ever have with her. It would kill him, but as long as she was happy, then he would be happy for her. Even if she found that happiness with Eddie.

He felt a sharp pang in his heart at the thought.

"Barry? You still there?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine concern. She may not love him in the same way he loved her, but he knew she would always care about him and his wellbeing.

He hadn't even realized he was brooding again. "Yeah, I'm here. I just... got a little distracted."

"Well, if you're busy right now I can call back later—"

"No!" He cleared his throat. "No, I'm fine. So... How are you? Any plans tonight?"

"Actually, that's why I called. I was wondering if... if... you know... If you didn't have any plans that maybe we could celebrate New Years like we used to?"

Every year they would have an all night marathon with movies of each person's choice. It would alternate each year. One year, he'd be stuck watching sappy romcoms or old black and white films with Humphrey Bogart, and the following year she'd be stuck watching horror movies or Adam Sandler comedies.

"Don't you have plans with Eddie?" he asked, curious about her wanting to spend time with him when she should want to bring in the new year with her live-in boyfriend.

"Oh," she replied with surprise. "Well..." He could hear her hesitation. "Not really, but um... I'll work that out."

"Are you _sure_ he would be okay with that?" As much as he wanted to spend alone time with her, he really didn't want to be the reason for any conflict or strife in her relationship.

"He'll be fine. Come on Barry, just make sure you have the popcorn and Goobers on standby. I'll bring the root beer and ice cream. _And_ I'll bring the movies."

"Wait, wait, wait. Isn't this my year to choose the movies?"

"No, we watched The Waterboy, Big Daddy, and Happy Gilmore last year."

"But last year I was in a co— oh..." An awkward silence fell between them as her words sunk in.

She'd spent New Years Eve by his bedside last year and still carried on with their yearly tradition, watching his favorite movies. His heart soared at the implication of her actions, but he refused to make it more than what it was. There was only so much his heart could take.

Breaking the awkward silence and building tension, she spoke once more. "So I'll see you tonight at your place, right? I'm sure my copy of Pretty Woman is still over there."

"Yeah, yeah I think so."

"Alright, see you later." She hung up before he could respond.

He stared at his phone in confusion. She'd acted like nothing had changed between them, which was a good sign, but he also had his doubts. She seemed almost too anxious to get him to agree to hanging out tonight. Was the other shoe about to drop? Was this her way of telling him that they could only be friends, letting him down easy?

Refusing to look this gift horse in the mouth, he shook away those negative thoughts and headed towards the store to purchase her favorite microwave popcorn and a huge box of Goobers.


	2. Chapter 2

Iris had just finished clearing and wiping down a table when Eddie walked in. He'd been busy when she called him earlier and she'd barely had the chance to tell him about their lack of plans together tonight. He said that he'd call her back, but his tone over the phone and the look on his face right now said that her plans with Barry wouldn't be the only thing they'd talk about.

Iris gave him a big smile and wasn't surprised to see that he barely returned it. Attempting to smooth over any hurt feelings, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. There was very little response from his end so she prolonged their kiss until he finally kissed her back.

Pulling back but not completely severing their embrace, she looked up at him with big brown eyes that said 'Please don't be mad at me'. She kinda hated herself for using this tactic with him, but it usually worked on her dad and it _always_ worked on Barry— the look, not the kiss. She wouldn't kiss Barry. He was her best friend. Her best friend that was in love with her and would likely want to hold her and kiss her like this. _Great_. Now she wondered what it would be like to kiss Barry...

"Don't give me that look, Iris," Eddie whispered, and she was grateful that he'd interrupted her train of thought. "We need to talk, can you take a quick break?"

"Yeah. Let's talk outside."

Minutes had passed as they walked in uncomfortable silence. Deciding that she'd had enough of the silent treatment, she started the conversation. "So like I was trying to tell you earlier, Bear and I usually do a movie marathon for New Years and I wanted to do this for him since last year he was in a coma."

"But Iris, I don't understand why you have to be alone with him. I already told you how I think he feels about you. He gave you wedding bands for Christmas."

"These bands," she started as she unconsciously reached for them and started to toy with the rings on her gold chain, "are a duplicate of the ones I lost when we were kids. They belonged to my parents and I was devastated when I lost them. It's nothing more to it than that."

Eddie didn't look convinced. "It seems awfully sentimental to me. I don't think I'd get something like that for my best friend."

Iris sighed in frustration, not because he was wrong, but because he was absolutely right and she had no real answer to that without telling him an outright lie. "It's not like that, Eddie. He's seeing Felicity, remember? We went out on a double date with them? You wanted me to get a dress like hers instead of getting one for me?"

Eddie frowned at the implication of her last statement. Did she not like his gift to her? "Wait, what's this really about Iris? Are you not ready to move in together? Is that what this is really about?"

"For the last time, no. I already told you that I can't wait to start the new year together. I'm already mostly packed and Barry, you know, the guy you think _likes_ me likes me, is helping me move. I just wanted to spend one last movie night with my best friend before you and I start our own yearly tradition. I honestly don't see the issue."

Okay, so that last part was a lie. She knew what the issue was, but he didn't. He could only speculate, but tonight she'd straighten everything out and she and Barry would be back on the right track. No more weird awkwardness or days without seeing or speaking to each other. They'd be Barry and Iris again. This plan of hers could work; Eddie just needed to get on board damn it.

He sighed and gave her a look that let her know he was begrudgingly letting her have her way. "Fine. But I'm taking you to brunch on New Years Day so don't stay up too late watching movies."

She squeed with joy and jumped in his arms for a kiss that wasn't one-sided this time. "Thank you." Another kiss. "I love you." And another smooch. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I love you, too. I'll just be all by myself tonight, lonely without anything to do," he said playfully before kissing her one last time.

"Oh stop it! It'll just be one night. I'm sure you'll survive without me," she giggled with a wink and a smile. "Barely."

With the biggest grin, she headed back towards the coffee shop to finish her shift. There would be no issues now and she and Barry could finally be alone to work this out tonight. Her smile grew even larger with the thought of Barry and she never realized that once she'd left Eddie's arms, she hadn't given him a second thought.

* * *

Barry was nervous. He didn't know why he was nervous because this was something that he and Iris had done every year ever since they were kids. It was just movies, popcorn, candy, and root beer floats. What could go wrong?

"Everything," he answered aloud.

He went over his apartment again, cleaning it from top to bottom in a matter of minutes. He even began to second guess himself with the cleaning. _It's way too clean in here, she'll know something is up. _Just before he began to "re-clutter" his space, there was a knock on the door.

"I've still got time," he muttered, using his powers to quickly make his place appear more lived-in. By the second knock on the door he'd made it to the kitchen to start the popcorn and was satisfied with the look of his apartment.

"Bear, hurry up before the ice cream melts," came Iris' voice from the other side of the door.

"I'm coming, just picking up a bit," he fibbed, approaching the door to open it.

"Oh please. I've seen how messy your place can be, just open..." He finally opened the door. "...the door." She looked at him and gave him a soft smile. "Hey."

"Hey. Happy New Year." He awkwardly approached her to give her a hug at the same time she stuck out her fist for him to bump it with his own. Needless to say, the situation became even more awkward than before.

Waving off the greeting, Barry moved aside so that Iris could step in. "So what movies did you bring?"

"Tonight we'll watch Pretty Woman, The Wedding Planner, Something's Gotta Give, and your personal favorite You've Got Mail," she answered with a smirk.

He groaned. "Ah come on! Can we at least watch that one first to get it over with? I really don't want that to be the first movie I watch in 2015."

Iris smiled and playfully touched the side of his face. "If I can suffer in silence through multiple Adam Sandler movies, surely you can tolerate Meg Ryan for 90 minutes."

Barry instinctively leaned into her touch and reached for her hand to hold it there a little while longer. "It's actually 119 minutes, but hey, who's counting?" he teased.

Realizing that she was touching him in a way that, before his confession would have been completely innocent but could now be interpreted as something more, she took her hand away from his face. Even with the absence of her touch, the look he gave her made it hard for Iris to breathe. He looked at her as if she was the only woman in the world that he wanted. He looked at her like he _always_ had, like a man deeply in love. Only this time, with the new knowledge of his true feelings for her, she recognized it for what it was.

This time, she could see it. There was no more brushing it off. No more ignoring it. No more Barry just being Barry, her sweet and loving best friend. Her eyes were open, and the elephant in the room became even larger. The plan had been to come over, watch movies as they always had, and address the issue head on. To talk it out and get her best friend back. The racing of her heart, the butterflies fluttering in her stomach, and the shortness of breath— these were things that Iris was _not_ ready to address.

They fell into another awkward silence until the microwave timer went off and the smell of movie theater butter popcorn filled the air.

"Popcorn's ready," he said, not knowing what else to say beyond the obvious. The last thing he wanted was to scare her off, putting even more distance between them. "How about you get the movie started and I'll take this," he reached for the plastic grocery bag in her hand, "and get everything ready."

Blinking, she turned away from him to gain her composure. How could he have hidden this from her for so long? How in the hell did she not see it? "Sure. I'll start the movie so at least you can miss the first five minutes." She kept her tone light, unaffected.

"How thoughtful of you," he replied in a teasing manner.

"Anything for you, Bear," she shot back in kind, hoping that they'd keep up this playfulness with each other. At least for now.

She walked over to the living room area to start the movie. She never turned back when she heard his footsteps as he walked to the kitchen. For reasons Iris wasn't ready to confront, she didn't trust herself to look at him right now.


End file.
